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For the next week, Cork will be hosting qualifiers for next summer's UEFA Under 17 Championships. Turners Cross and St. Coleman’s Park will hold games as Ireland look to book a place in their fourth successive European Championships.

This tournament, is scheduled to start tonight when Ireland face Andorra at the 'Cross (kick off 7:30). Other teams which will compete will include Albania and Israel.

This week will mark another chapter in the history of international football on Leeside, dating back to 1939.

This was the first ever Irish international scheduled outside of Dublin, with the Mardyke Grounds hosting 1938 World Cup runners up Hungary. Played out on the picturesque Banks of the Lee, 18,000 people turned up as Ireland enjoyed an impressive 2-2 draw.

Fifty four years later the Boys in Green returned, this time playing Spain at Flower Lodge. The fixture was chosen to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Cork's charter of 1185, and in May 1985 Ireland drew 0-0 with Euro 84' finalists Spain.

One of the most prolific nights here came a few weeks before Italia 90' when Ireland 'B' faced England 'B' at Turners Cross. Jack Charlton named Denis Irwin, Jim Beglin, and Niall Quinn in the team that day, against an English side featuring Lee Dixon, Tony Adam and a young Matt Le Tissie. Ireland produced a fine performance in a 4-1 win.

The 2000s saw Cork host a succession of underage friendlies and qualifiers. One of the highest profile games was in 2007 when Ireland played England in an Under 21 European Championship qualifier. Future Champions League winner James Milner started along with current Irish international Darren Randolph, in night when the Three Lions won 3-0.

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The last big night on Leeside came in summer of 2016 when the Republic of Ireland played Belarus in a sold out Turners Cross. It was the final warm up game before Euro 2016 for the Boys in Green, and Martin O'Neil named a star studded XI including James McClean, Shane Long and veteran Shay Given.